http://mmajunkie.comShane Roller has a hard time admitting a change in scenery has improved his quality of life. He’s a warrior, after all, and it shouldn’t matter where he lays his head down at night.

But after a move from Las Vegas – which translates loosely as “town of many distractions” – to a new 30,000 square-foot training facility in Arlington, Texas, it’s hard not to concede things have gotten better.

“I like to think I’m pretty mentally tough, and I don’t let that stuff bother me,” Roller today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “But if your wife and family is happier, it rubs off on you.”

Roller, a three-time All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State and flagship member of Team Takedown, felt out of step in his most recent performance. He fought current WEC lightweight contender Anthony Pettis tooth and nail at WEC 50 but ran out of gas in deep waters and submitted to a triangle choke with nine seconds left in the third and final round.

Now, he gets a chance to wipe the slate clean once again when he meets former WEC champ Jamie Varner (16-4 MMA, 4-2-1 WEC) tonight at WEC 53, the promotion’s final event before it cedes its talent to the UFC. The show takes place tonight at Jobing.com Arena and airs live on Versus.

In the wake of his loss to Pettis, Roller (8-3 MMA, 5-2 WEC) took a hard look at what was missing in his fight preparation and came to the conclusion he had neglected the wrestling skills that had first brought him success in the crossover between the mat and MMA.

“Mainly my takedowns,” he said of his troubles. “I got in a lot of positions where normally I’d finish the shots pretty easily. I would get double legs with my hands almost locked, and it should have been a no-brainer and had them on their back. I was just not finishing my shots.

“I had to get back to feeling it and [making] it automatic.”

With all that space to play in Texas, that’s exactly what he did. He dusted off the old wrestling drills and placed them front and center in camp.

Going into a fight with Varner, the added work could play big dividends. Varner’s mat credentials pale in comparison to Roller’s, and the former champ did not fare well on the ground in his most recent fight against Donald Cerrone, a noted striker who switched it up for the grudge match.

Roller, however, said he feels just fine standing with Varner, as well. He may take the fight to the ground eventually but will use his reach advantage to score points on the feet beforehand. (Meanwhile, Varner is dead-certain Roller will try to take him down at the first possible chance.)

“I’m confident in my standup, and I feel that’s one thing I hadn’t been,” Roller said. “I was putting a lot of pressure on myself, (thinking), ‘I’ve got to get it to the ground.’ I don’t feel like I have to do that any more.

“Looking back at my last four or five fights. My standup looks good. I haven’t really gotten hit crisply with anything in all those fights. I’ve got pretty good head movement. He’s got a little bit of a boxing background, so it will be nice to measure up with him. There’s a few holes I feel I can exploit during the fight.”

Wherever the fight goes, Roller feels more well-rounded than ever. And it’s an important one; on the eve of the WEC’s merger with the UFC, a loss could mean bye-bye in a division that’s about to overlap with its big brother.

The only change of scenery Roller wants now is a cage that’s adorned with the logo “UFC.” He’ll gladly step over Varner to see that.

“He does everything good; I just feel like my (skills) are a little bit better,” Roller said.

For the latest on WEC 53, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by Gorgeous George, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Goze. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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